Health officials reported 2,318 new Covid infections on Friday, the third straight day the daily caseload exceeded 2,000.

All but 153 were local cases.

The Centre for Health Protection's Albert Au said 36 more people are suspected to have caught the Omicron subvariant BA.4 or BA.5.

He believes there is silent transmission of the virus in the community.

"Recently we can see more local BA.4 or BA.5 cases in the community, and almost half of them have no identifiable source, nor are they linked to imported cases or people working in high-risk places," he said.

Au said the proportion of Covid patients coming down with the two Omicron subvariants could increase, but there's no proof showing they would cause more serious symptoms compared with other subvariants.

He also said a cluster of infections relating to a hotpot restaurant in Kwun Tong has expanded to 11.

Health authorities have received a list of customers ordered to get tested after visiting Hotpot Foodie on the evening of June 24, and will be inspecting the venue.

Four more elderly care homes have reported new infections, involving three residents and two staff members.

And there was one more Covid-related death, involving an 88-year-old chronically ill woman.
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Hotline for Covid-positive patients: 1836 115